By the time the sun dipped below the horizon, the house no longer looked empty. A modest table now stood in the kitchen with three mismatched chairs, curtains gently swayed in the windows, and clean bedding rested in each of the rooms. The scent of warm stew simmering on the stove made the place feel less like a stranger's house and more like theirs.
They'd spent nearly every coin they had left on the essentials, beds, a few shelves, cookware, and enough food for the week. The furniture was simple, mostly secondhand, but sturdy and welcoming in its own way. Every piece had been chosen together.
"It's not fancy," Liora said as she stirred the stew that night, "but it's ours."
Aria smiled from where she sat on a small cushion near the fire.
Tessa, leaning against the doorframe, nodded in agreement. "We can fill it with memories over time."
After a quiet meal and some laughter over who dropped the spoon, Aria blamed Tessa. Tessa claimed she was framed. Bedtime crept in with the gentle lull of nighttime silence.
Tessa stood at her bedroom door, holding a candle. "I guess I'm off to my own room now," she said with a mock-dramatic sigh.
Liora smirked. "Scared of the dark?"
"No. Just… not used to silence." Tessa hesitated, then smiled faintly. "But I think I'll sleep well tonight."
"Goodnight, Tessa," Aria said softly, already nestled in Liora's arms.
"'Night, little squirt," Tessa replied, ruffling her hair before disappearing behind her door.
Liora carried Aria to her new bedroom, a small but cozy space with a round window and a simple little bed just her size. The covers were soft, and her stuffed doll from the inn had a spot of honor on the pillow.
Liora gently laid her down and tucked her in. "Comfy?"
Aria nodded sleepily, her voice a whisper. "I like this bed... but it's a little lonely."
Liora smiled and brushed a hand through her brown hair. "You'll get used to it. I'm just across the hall, okay?"
"Mhm... night-night, Mommy."
"Goodnight, Aria."
She kissed her forehead, extinguished the lantern, and stepped into her own room, a space that was finally hers. A small bed, her sword propped near the door, and a half-unpacked trunk at the foot of the bed. It wasn't much.
But it was home.
Sometime deep into the night, the sound of soft footsteps on wood stirred Liora from a light sleep. Before she could fully open her eyes, she felt a familiar presence climb into bed beside her, crawling under the covers without a word.
"Aria?" she whispered.
A tiny voice replied, muffled. "I tried... but it was too quiet."
Liora smiled in the dark and pulled the blanket up over them both.
"You can sleep here tonight," she murmured, wrapping an arm around the small form beside her.
The silence returned, but it was no longer empty. It was warm, filled with steady breathing and the comfort of being close.
In that moment, Liora didn't care that they were low on money or that the furniture was old. All she knew was that her family was safe, under the same roof, wrapped in the kind of peace she never thought she'd have.
And with a quiet exhale, she drifted back to sleep, with Aria curled against her side.